beforehand

English

Etymology

From Middle English biforhand, biforhond, beforehonde, bifornhand, equivalent to before +‎ hand. [13th century. After Old French avant main].

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /bɪˈfɔːhænd/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /bɪˈfɔɹhænd/
• (rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /bɪˈfo(ː)ɹhænd/
• (non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /bɪˈfoəhænd/
• Hyphenation: be‧fore‧hand

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adverb

beforehand (not comparable)

1. At an earlier or preceding time.

   Will it be possible to have access to the room beforehand so that we can set up chairs?

   I love playing tennis but I always get so nervous beforehand.

   Weeks beforehand, I had bought the tickets for the concert.

Synonyms

• in advance
• upfront

Antonyms

• afterwards
• (archaic) afterhand

Translations

at an earlier time

• Azerbaijani: qabaqcadan (az), öncədən
• Belarusian: за́гадзя (záhadzja)
• Bulgarian: преди (bg) (predi)
• Catalan: de bestreta (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 提前 (zh) (tíqián), 事先 (zh) (shìxiān), 先行 (zh) (xiānxíng), 預先／预先 (zh) (yùxiān), 頭裡／头里 (zh) (tóuli)

• Czech: předem (cs)
• Danish: på forhånd, i forvejen
• Dutch: vooraf (nl), op voorhand, van tevoren (nl), bij voorbaat
• Esperanto: antaŭe
• Finnish: etukäteen (fi)
• French: préalablement (fr), auparavant (fr), au préalable (fr), à l'avance (fr)
• Georgian: წინასწარ (c̣inasc̣ar), წინდაწინ (c̣indac̣in)
• German: vorher (de), zuvor (de), davor (de), im Voraus (de)
• Greek: εκ των προτέρων (el) (ek ton protéron), προηγουμένως (el) (proïgouménos), πρωτύτερα (el) (protýtera), από πριν (apó prin), προκαταβολικά (el) (prokatavoliká)
• Hebrew: מבעוד מועד‎ (mi'beod mo'ed), מראש‎ (he)
• Hungarian: előzetesen, előre (hu)
• Italian: anticipatamente (it), precedentemente (it)
• Japanese: あらかじめ (ja) (arakajime)
• Korean: 미리 (ko) (miri)
• Latin: antea (la)
• Norwegian: i forkant

  Bokmål: på forhånd, i forveien, i forvegen

• Plautdietsch: verut
• Polish: uprzednio (pl), wcześniej (pl), zawczasu (pl), z góry (pl)
• Portuguese: de antemão (pt), com antecedência, antes (pt), previamente (pt), antecipadamente (pt), adiantado (pt)
• Romanian: în prealabil, mai devreme, în avans
• Russian: зара́нее (ru) (zaráneje), заблаговре́менно (ru) (zablagovrémenno), вперёд (ru) (vperjód), наперёд (ru) (naperjód) (colloquial), преждевре́менно (ru) (preždevrémenno) (untimely), за́годя (ru) (zágodja) (colloquial)
• Scottish Gaelic: ro làimh
• Slovak: vopred
• Spanish: de antemano (es), anticipadamente (es), adelantadamente (es), antes (es), con anterioridad, por adelantado
• Swedish: på förhand (sv), i förväg (sv)
• Turkish: öncesinde
• Ukrainian: заздалегі́дь (zazdalehídʹ), напере́д (naperéd)

Adjective

beforehand (comparative more beforehand, superlative most beforehand)

1. (obsolete) In comfortable circumstances as regards property; forehanded.
   • 1626, Francis Bacon, New Atlantis

     rich and much beforehand

2. (archaic, often followed by with) In a state of anticipation or preoccupation.
   • 1670, John Milton, “(please specify the page)”, in The History of Britain, that Part Especially now Call’d England. […], London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for James Allestry, […] , →OCLC:

     Agricola […] resolves to be beforehand with the danger.

   • 1716 April 17 (Gregorian calendar)​, Joseph Addison, “The Free-holder: No. 31. Friday, April 6. [1716.]”, in The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison, Esq; […], volume IV, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], published 1721, →OCLC:

     The last cited author has been beforehand with me.

   • 1839, London Medical Gazette: Or, Journal of Practical Medicine

     […] the medical attendant ought to be rather beforehand with the symptoms of excitement, and to diminish the large quantity of wine before they appear.

Derived terms

• beforehand in the world, beforehand with the world